Oshkosh Overcomes Weather Problems

24 days of rain left plenty of water around.

Special to Pacific Flyer

Bringing together more than a half-million attendees and 10,000 aircraft is a daunting task even in the best of years.

Throw in unprecedented rains prior to that event, however, and the challenges heading into EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2010 made it unlike any of the 57 previous EAA fly-ins held before it.

“This was the most challenging fly-in we’ve had in my 35 years as chairman of the event,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA’s chairman and president.
Wittman Regional Airport at Oshkosh, Wis., was hit by more than 10 inches of rain in the first 24 days of July. As the July 26 opening day approached, the conditions complicated aircraft and drive-in camper parking, as large areas of the grounds typically used for parking and camping were under water or too soft to allow any weight.

Two things came to the rescue in time to allow a week long attendance total of 535,000 at Oshkosh, as well as more than 2,300 showplanes and 750 exhibitors. First was a break in the weather, as the rains stopped for much of AirVenture’s seven-day run through August 1.

Second was a never-say-die attitude among EAA’s volunteers and the surrounding community that created the space needed to welcome aircraft and campers.

“Our volunteers and staff brought tangible meaning to words like volunteerism, attitude and passion,” Poberezny said. “In addition, the Oshkosh community and surrounding region came through as never before to make sure airplanes and campers were accommodated.”

At the beginning of the week, many airplanes began their Oshkosh experience at surrounding airports in Appleton, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc and other nearby airfields. Large camping units, meanwhile, were shipped to sizeable hard-surface areas throughout Oshkosh until Camp Scholler dried sufficiently to allow them to park without hazards.

By the second half of the week, all the efforts had paid off, as a series of spectacular programs and activities created new memories for attendees.

“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Poberezny said. “And did we ever finish strong.”

DC-3’s diamond anniversary

A total of 40 DC-3s and C-47s descended on Oshkosh to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the venerable aircraft. Those airplanes came from throughout the U.S., as well as Canada and the United Kingdom, to be part of the commemoration.

More than 20 arrived in a mass formation on July 26 and parked in the warbird and vintage areas on the grounds, as well in the showcase AeroShell Square. Joining them were Clay Lacy’s rare DC-2, a DC-4 and a newly restored DC-7.

“For one week a year this is the Mecca of aviation,” said Mikey McBryan, who along with his dad, Joe, brought a DC-3 from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, that is featured in the popular Canadian TV series “Ice Pilots NWT.”

“Everybody is here and every airplane is here, and if you do a show about aviation and you don’t have Oshkosh in it, you’re missing a whole big deal,” he said.

The B-17 bomber also celebrated its 75th anniversary at Oshkosh, with four of the four-engine Boeing machines on the EAA grounds during the week. More details and photos in September's Pacific Flyer. (Brady Lane Photo)